Saturday, February 5, 2011

Bush cancels visit to Switzerland against the outrage caused by his coming

Former U.S. president George Bush has canceled a trip to Switzerland, where he was scheduled to speak Feb. 12 in Geneva at a gala dinner of the Jewish community, after the commotion caused by the fighting visit. Complaints of crimes of torture have been filed with the Geneva courts against the former head of the White House and several organizations defending human rights intended to institute other proceedings to have him arrested. Leftist movements had also intended to protest against his participation in the annual charity gala Keren Hayesod, which organizers have kept the dinner, but canceled the intervention of Bush "not to endanger persons and property" . Prosecutors in Geneva said it had recorded "a number of complaints" against the criminal Bush for torture, a crime punishable in the eyes of international law. In his memoirs, Bush strongly defends the practice of "waterboarding", simulated drowning, performed under his mandate, between 2001 and 2009, against detainees suspected of being "terrorists." It justifies the need to avoid another Sept. 11. Switzerland obliged to stop it? Most rights lawyers believe the man that practice against prisoners captured in Afghanistan or Iraq as a form of torture, yet it is banned by international convention of 1987 that states such as Switzerland United have ratified. Dominique Baettig, member of the Swiss People's Party (far right), wrote last week confederal government demand the arrest of Bush for war crimes if he were in Switzerland. The World Organization against Torture, based in Geneva, said that Switzerland would be legally obliged under international law and legislation to stop Bush if confederal set foot on national territory. While the authorities assure that Bush would enjoy a certain immunity from prosecution as a former president, UNWTO stresses that "there is no law granting special status" for the former heads of state. The MTO wrote to the President of the Confederation, Micheline Calmy-Rey, for him to assert that there was "convincing evidence a bundle of U.S. policy of torture and ill treatment" during the Bush presidency.